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Use of ‘white privilege’ makes online discussions more polarized and less constructive
A wide variety of historical, economic and cultural forces combine to allow a larger percentage of whites to climb up the socioeconomic ladder than Blacks and Hispanics.
Some people call the combined effects of these forces “white privilege.” Though these words are commonly used, research by Lia Bozarth and me has found that use ...Read more
Beer and spirits have more detrimental effects on the waistline and on cardiovascular disease risk than red or white wine
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
Drinking beer and spirits is linked to elevated levels of visceral fat – the harmful type of fat that is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and other health complications – whereas drinking wine shows no such ...Read more
In election year, US Rep. Mary Peltola walks a complicated path on fisheries and oil drilling
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska this week unexpectedly pulled her support for a Republican-led bill that seeks to pave the way for more oil drilling in the state, opening her up to criticism from opponents who claim she's supporting a pro-Biden agenda.
It was the latest in a series of moves by the Democrat that has led to...Read more
Cinco de Mayo: You might be surprised how long it's been celebrated in the U.S.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862.
It is not observed as a national holiday in Mexico, but schools in Puebla, where the battle took place, are closed for the day.
Mexico’s Independence Day is Sept. 16.
A report published by the UCLA Center for the Study of ...Read more
New Jersey family repatriates rare artifacts to Philadelphia's Mexican Consulate
In a repatriation ceremony at the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia on Wednesday, a collection of culturally significant archaeological pieces — some going back almost 2,500 years — was returned to the Mexican people by the family of a private collector.
"The 22 pieces before you today are recognized as movable archaeological monuments .....Read more
Before mob attack, UCLA police chief was ordered to create security plan but didn't, sources say
LOS ANGELES — On the morning before a mob attacked a pro-Palestinian student encampment at UCLA, campus Police Chief John Thomas assured university leadership that he could mobilize law enforcement “in minutes” — a miscalculation from the three hours it took to actually bring in enough officers to quell the violence, according to three ...Read more
As humans, we all want self-respect – and keeping that in mind might be the missing ingredient when you try to change someone’s mind
Why is persuasion so hard, even when you have facts on your side?
As a philosopher, I’m especially interested in persuasion – not just how to convince someone, but how to do it ethically, without manipulation. I’ve found that one of the deepest insights comes from the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, a focus of my research, who...Read more
What Shakespeare can teach us about racism
William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy “Othello” is often the first play that comes to mind when people think of Shakespeare and race. And if not “Othello,” then folks usually name “The Merchant of Venice,” “Antony and Cleopatra,” “The Tempest,” or his first – and bloodiest – tragedy, “Titus Andronicus,” my ...Read more
Many immigrants to the US are fleeing violence and persecution − here’s how the federal government can help cities absorb them
Immigration has become a defining issue in the 2024 elections and a major challenge in many U.S. cities. Over the past several years, wars and armed conflict, violent persecution and desperate poverty have displaced millions of people worldwide and propelled the arrival in the U.S. of thousands seeking protection, mainly at the U.S.-Mexico ...Read more
Supporting ‘democracy’ is hard for many who feel government and the economy are failing them
Americans, it seems, can both value the idea of democracy and not support it in practice.
Since 2016, academics and journalists have expressed concerns that formerly secure democracies are becoming less democratic. Different measures of democracy, such as scores produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Freedom House and the ...Read more
On its 125th anniversary, W.E.B. Du Bois’ ‘The Philadelphia Negro’ offers lasting lessons on gentrification in Philly’s historically Black neighborhoods
Society Hill, where Sixers star Joel Embiid recently put his penthouse condo on the market for US$5.5 million, has long been one of Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhoods.
It’s a distant cry from what the neighborhood looked like 125 years ago when sociologist and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois published “The ...Read more
A look inside the cyberwar between Israel and Hamas reveals the civilian toll
The news about the Israel-Hamas war is filled with reports of Israeli families huddling in fear from relentless rocket attacks, Israeli tanks and artillery flattening buildings in the Gaza Strip, hundreds of kidnapped hostages imprisoned in subterranean tunnels, and millions of people driven from their homes by fighting.
But beyond ...Read more
While a few other universities reach compromises with protesters, why can't Penn?
PHILADELPHIA — At Rutgers University-New Brunswick, a three-day-old pro-Palestinian encampment came down peacefully Thursday after successful negotiations between the administration and protesters.
Brown University, an Ivy League institution like the University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University had similar success earlier this week...Read more
Longtime Trump loyalist Hope Hicks in tears after potentially damaging testimony in hush money trial
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s loyal former White House press secretary Hope Hicks testified at his Manhattan trial Friday, breaking down after divulging potentially damaging testimony for the former president regarding the motivations behind his fixer’s hush money payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump’s former White House Communications...Read more
Trump hush-money trial: Key takeaways from week two of testimony
NEW YORK — The second week of testimony in Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal trial gave jurors first-hand accounts of negotiations for payments to two women and how the former president’s 2016 campaign reacted when news of their alleged affairs leaked out anyway.
Hope Hicks, who was press secretary for Trump’s campaign and became a top...Read more
'Extraordinary honor': Biden gives Presidential Medal of Freedom to Pelosi, Clyburn, Kerry and others
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/president-joe-biden-awards-the-medal-of-freedom-to-u-s-rep-news-photo/2151325031?adppopup=true
and
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/president-joe-biden-awards-the-medal-of-freedom-to-former-news-photo/2151331538?adppopup=true
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday awarded the ...Read more
NYC politicians demand Mayor Adams discipline NYPD Chief John Chell over 'dangerous' tweets
NEW YORK — More than three dozen local elected officials are calling on Mayor Eric Adams to discipline New York Police Department Chief John Chell over “illegal” and “dangerous” social media attacks that the police honcho has leveled against lawmakers, journalists and others in recent months.
In a Friday letter to Adams exclusively ...Read more
News briefs
Opal Lee, grandmother of Juneteenth, to be honored with Presidential Medal of Freedom
Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, White House officials announced.
Lee, 97, is among 19 recipients of the honor the White House said is presented ...Read more
18 arrested in Nevada in operation targeting online child sex predators
LAS VEGAS — A multi-agency operation targeting online child sex predators led to 18 arrests in Henderson last weekend, according to authorities.
The joint operation took place on April 26 and 27, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.
The operation included detectives and agents from the Internet Crimes Against Children ...Read more
Student posted airsoft rifle photo in threat aimed at Kentucky high school
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Fayette County student on Friday posted a threat that included an airsoft rifle and mentioned Tates Creek High School, Principal Kristy Field said in a letter to parents.
“This morning we became aware of a social media post made by a student on Snapchat that began circulating among students and staff,” Field said. “...Read more
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